Metroid Scion: The One With the Black Mane
by Venomous Woe
Summary: After the destruction of the BSL Station, Samus Aran takes to the stars in hopes of evading a wrathful Federation. When she encounters a mercenary group on a dense jungle world, she becomes involved in a conspiracy far greater than she had imagined.
1. Chapter 1

"_A criminal. They're hunting me as a criminal. I destroyed their research station and their precious Metroid breeding operation. And the X parasites; can't forget that. Whatever they saw in those things, they treasured them dearly. And now I'm being hunted for destroying them. Hunted as a criminal."_

Samus Aran dwelled on these ruminations repeatedly as she stared into space, the steady hum of the engine and the beeps of the machinery and computers providing the only sound. The ships engine rumbled her seat, and the all-to-familiar sensation of having an "ass massage", as she called it, coursed through her body. She sat comfortably in the seat wearing a deep blue halter with matching shorts, as her ship's computer, Adam, took the helm of the ship.

She had just finished an operation near SR388, an untamed, backwater planet that was once home to the infamous predatory Metroids, parasites that obtained subsistence through extracting their prey's life energy. The objective was to investigate the destruction of a research station owned by the Galactic Federation's Biologic Space Laboratories division. A malicious parasitic species known as X, which had the ability to mimic their victims using DNA replication, had infested the station, and Samus was instructed to curb their outbreak.

However, a change of plans had occurred, and the Federation's interested shifted to capturing the X rather than exterminating them. In addition to this pestilence, the Federation was cloning and breeding Metroids inside the station. Samus, whose life had been devoted to eradicating the Metroid population on their orders, was baffled by their change of heart toward the creatures. But what repulsed Samus the most was the fact that the Federation wanted to capture a plague and use it for their own benefit. Acting on her sense of morality, she and Adam disregarded the Federation's orders and activated the self-destruct explosives on board the station. The resulting explosion destroyed the station, as well as the planet it orbited. With the worst over, she headed back to Federation HQ to receive her punishment.

It turned out to be a disaster. As soon as she landed, she was immediately jailed, and court-martialed the next day. For her crimes, she was sentenced to death. An unforgettable chill ran through her that day. She knew her punishment would be harsh, but death was just too much for her to bear. In a mix of fear and indignation, she fought her way out of the courthouse, retrieved her ship, and escaped into deep space. Now the Federation had issued a death warrant, with the Minister of Defense's signature on it. Now she was alone, doomed to wander deep space.

It had been a week since she'd escaped, and she began to realize how lonely she was. Her career as a bounty hunter for the Federation was the only thing she had to live for. She had no relatives; her only known family had died when she was three years old. Her foster parent, a Chozo named Old Bird, had also passed on, along with the rest of the Chozo race. She only had a handful of contacts in the bounty hunting community, all of which were either deceased or missing in action. She had no friends or acquaintances. She had nowhere to go, nowhere to hide, nowhere to seek refuge. Her ship was just a lone speck of dust on the dark, dusky backdrop of space.

She had always been a loner and an introvert, and was never ashamed of it. In fact, she often took solace in being alone. It was quiet, it was calm, it was soothing, and she could do what she wished without fear of judgment or reprimands. Her only distraction in her blissful nirvana of solitude was her bounty hunting, and the salary she received was all she needed to make end's meet. She was overall content with her life. She was a strong, capable warrior, that could accomplish what most humans could only dream of doing.

And yet, a secret longing plagued her. She saw it every time a couple walked hand-in-hand on the street in some Earth city. They would sway their arms and laugh, with bright and happy smiles caressing their faces. She saw it every time a couple sat at a park bench under the full moon back on Earth. The man would place her arm around the woman's shoulders, and the woman would lean over and kiss him. A sickening feeling stuck her and burned her heart every time she witnessed these acts of affectionate display. At first, she thought she was disgusted, watching them ooze their affection over each other, but she later realized that the burning tumult in her bosom was jealousy.

Seeing couples embrace under the pale moonlight reminded her so much of her mother and father. She would remember Rod and Virginia Aran's luminous faces, and recall with great clarity how they hugged her and kissed her and provided her with a seemingly boundless sense of security. Then she would imagine the grisly silhouette of Ridley swooping down and burning her mother to cinders with his breath, and then the enormous explosion that took her father, feeling a deep longing as these visions played. Old Bird, her foster parent, had been a caring guardian to her, while simultaneously training her as a Chozo warrior, but he was gone now, and the rest of the Chozo as well. The longing burned its strongest when she reached this point.

She craved companionship. The secret desire was etched into her heart. She knew what she wanted, but she feared that she could never attain it. Humans and sentient beings only liked and cared for sociable people. They revered and idolized the person who had charisma and who had many loyal and steadfast friends. They only accepted the person who could converse with confidence and finesse as one of their own.

Samus hardly ever talked, often because she could rarely hold a casual conversation. Socializing frustrated her, which was part of the reason why she felt more at ease by herself. She limited her communication skills to negotiating with employers and deterring the occasional pervert who loved to glimpse at her voluptuous body, with slim legs, long, blonde hair and shining blue eyes. She was shy, in the technical sense of the word. In the eyes of the populace, she appeared cold and distant. But she knew that they didn't understand. No one did.

Her deep thoughts undulated throughout her mind. An expression of mixed sadness and meditation appeared on her face. _Maybe there's someone out there who understands me,_ she thought. _Even though I have strength and beauty, and had success, I still have a void to fill. Would meeting another soul, similar to mine, close it? Perhaps…maybe…I hope…_

"Lady, you look worried", Adam piped through the speakers. "Would you like to share what's on your mind?"

Shaken out of her trance for a moment, Samus merely muttered, "No, I wouldn't. And even if I did, you wouldn't understand."

Unconvinced, Adam replied, "Lady, I was once a Federation military official; there are not many things that I do not understand." In a confident tone, he added, "You want to be with someone, don't you? Perhaps a lover?"

Surprised, Samus spluttered, "Yes. How did you know?"

"I've always seen that face when soldiers miss their loved ones."

"Wow, you really don't miss much, do you Adam?"

"I don't. But let me know if there's anything I can do to help you."

Samus chuckled at Adam's response and commented, "That's interesting; my commanding officer acting fatherly toward me. And a mechanized one, no less."

With just a slight pinch of anger, Adam replied, "Firstly, Lady, I'm not your CO anymore. Secondly, I may be just a computer AI, but I still have organic components, and I retain my human memories and feelings. How do you think I went along with your plan to destroy the BSL Station?"

Samus felt Adam's words jab at her. She was not merely annoyed by the fact that he had responded so viciously, but by the notion that he had a point. "Look," She stated. "I'm just saying it's a little silly to have a computer giving me advice. It just sounds so pathetic to be consoled by a machine."

"Well, it better not be, Lady!" Adam barked. "I suppose under normal circumstances it would be strange, but I am not just some random construct. I was once your best friend; I know you well. Frankly, I'm disappointed that you would say something like that to me."

Samus couldn't help but feel a pinch of guilt upon hearing this. His words had struck home, and she felt that he was absolutely right. She felt ashamed to have talked to him in such a manner. "You're right. I apologize…"

There was a brief silence between the two, until Adam replied, "Do not dwell on it, Lady. I merely…" Before Adam could complete his sentence, multiple pings began to screech from the ship's navigation interface.

Immediately, Samus inquired, "Are we coming up on a planet?"

"It appears so, Lady," Adam responded. "I will determine its identity immediately."

"Good," Samus responded. It had been two weeks since she last resupplied, and her food stores were diminishing with each passing day. She could not flee from the Federation on an empty stomach, and she hoped she could find suitable rations on some backwater world beyond Federation territory. She could probably find some animal or herb that was edible, and prepare it for her culinary pleasure. It would be better than just having the various shades of freeze-dried slop that she kept on board the ship.

"Identity confirmed, Lady," Adam announced. "The planet is Mothri, a dense tropic world with no attractions beyond wildlife. It's a remote planet, where the Federation has no military presence."

"Music to my ears," Samus replied. A planet where the Federation had no interest suited her needs to the letter. And with its jungle ecosystem, there would be plenty of critters to eat while she thought about what course of action to take from then on. Her enthusiasm would be cut short however, by a grave announcement from Adam.

"Oh, no…" Adam mumbled. " Don't look now, but we have a warp signature coming in right behind us."

Samus felt her heart freeze. _They followed us,_ she thought. She slowly glanced over to the sensor readouts on her left, and sure enough, and object was closing in behind her ship. Her heart was thumping wildly now.

"I thought you said the Federation didn't have any presence here!" Samus snapped.

"They don't! And calm down, please!" Adam exclaimed. "It appears that I was a bit of an alarmist when I said 'don't look now'. I now have a positive readout of the ship, and it doesn't match any Federation vessel that I've seen."

Samus's heart rate slowly settled down at hearing these words, but she wasn't sure she could be optimistic yet. "Really?" Samus inquired, hoping that the ship didn't belong to another bounty hunter seeking her corpse.

"Yes," Adam responded. "It is some model of ship called the 'Myrmidon-class', and it is named _Hushed Avenger_. This was all the information I could acquire from initial identification, Lady."

"Show me," Samus ordered. Adam pulled the data he had collected onto a monitor on Samus's right. A wire-frame model of the ship appeared on the screen. The _Hushed Avenger_ looked nothing like Samus had ever seen. The ship's surface was smooth and sleek, with a pair of wings extending from the top of it, heading down back toward the stern. It vaguely reminded Samus of a beetle or cockroach. Its single engine was well pronounced at the aft of the craft, and it seemed as though it had no glaring limitation in terms of speed. However, the ship was a decent-sized transport, roughly one and a half times the size of Samus's own vessel, so she doubted that it was capable of matching a fighter's speed.

Samus felt a rapid vibration as the mysterious ship passed her. She could catch a clearer glimpse of its fuselage. It had a bright chrome finish to the hull plating. It wasn't uncommon among starships, but the sleek plating gave the chrome a sense of surreal beauty. She heard a cracking sound on the communication lines as the _Avenger_ pulled into view.

"Federation vessel, this is the _Hushed Avenger_," a soothingly calm male voice announced. "You are in restricted airspace. Turn away or you will be escorted to the planet's surface."

_Federation vessel?_ Samus thought. _He must have been looking at the ship's ID tags. There are still Federation codes on them, so that the Feds would recognize me as a friendly. And what does he mean, I'm going to be escorted to the planet's surface? Who does he think he is, some kind of cop?_

"Federation vessel," the voice beckoned again, this time slightly more irritated. "Turn immediately, or we will use deadly for-"

The transmission suddenly stopped, and Adam spoke, " I hate to interrupt your amusing conversation, Lady Samus, but we've got two new warp signatures coming in."

Samus felt her heart sink into her stomach. She may have been followed after all.

_Two more visitors?_ She thought to herself. Slowly, she turned her head to view the sensor readouts. As clear as day, the two approaching harbingers were behind her, almost exactly at the point where the _Avenger_ had appeared. This was turning into a catastrophe. Federation ships had appeared, most likely spotting her, and a mysterious entity called the _Hushed Avenger _was threatening her with deadly force…


	2. Chapter 2

Samus quickly turned her head to the sensor readouts

Samus's mind raced as Adam gave her the news. Her mind flooded with fear, and she worked to suppress the hindering emotion, as she always had throughout her career. Her thoughts concocted two distinct possibilities as to what the two approaching ships were. They were either allies of the _Avenger_, or they were Federation ships pursuing her.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but those two ships are Federation pursuit ships," Adam said grimly. "Incubus-class gunships, Lady. Best to avoid them."

Samus shuddered violently. Two Federation ships at her six were distressing enough, but having two Incubus-class gunships as the pursuers was enough to make adrenaline rocket through Samus's veins. She had reason to be afraid; the Incubus-class was the pride and joy of the Federation. It was a cutting-edge craft, which was often used in escort and, in some cases, pursuit. The crew compartment was tucked inside a fuselage resembling a coffin, and had wings angled 45 degrees from the flanks. It packed four powerful ball turrets, and a missile launcher concealed in the apparatus on the bow. The ball turrets by themselves were capable of ripping all but the toughest and largest ships to shreds, due to a novel and revolutionary armament called the PWS.

Short for Pierce Weapon System, the weapon was able to penetrate even the thickest and most durable plating by firing a concentrated heat beam, which melted through most metals and alloys. The PWS was known to bore through capital ships that were roughly five times an Incubus's size; it would have no difficulty in destroying Samus's transport. However, the beams needed to break through her shields before they could pierce her hull. A Pierce Beam shot contained a ridiculously high amount of energy, but a common energy field would be able to withstand no less than two rounds. Samus was counting on this simple truth.

She glanced at the monitor once more. The _Avenger _had veered to port, and one of the Incubi was breaking off to pursue it. It seemed as though the _Avenger _was their intended target, as the other one was trailing slowly behind it. Within a few seconds, the ship veered its course to bear down on her, possibly because it had been ordered to chase her. An announcement from the communication lines confirmed her suspicions.

"Vessel GFI-34A7U, this is the GFS _Scylla_. You are under arrest by order of Minister Syrion Harrison. Stand down immediately, or we will use terminal force!"

_By "under arrest" they mean "under a death warrant"…_Samus thought to herself. Samus could feel her blood pulsing in her skull as she contemplated how to respond. The ship had no weapons; it was solely intended for transport. Attacking the Scylla was out of the question. On the monitor, she saw the _Avenger_ respond to its pursuers; it was veering 180 degrees into attack position. Suddenly, in a spontaneous epiphany, Samus had an idea.

She immediately grabbed the helm of her ship, and ordered, "Adam, switch to manual control! I'm going to shake this goon!"

"L-L-Lady!" Adam stuttered, clearly shocked. "Have you lost your mind? This is an Incubus we are dealing with! Let me handle this!"

"Adam, trust me!" Samus snapped, her tension temporarily overwhelming her. "I've got a plan! Let me have the controls!"

"Lady, this is no time to be tough!"

"Just hand them over, damn it!"

After a brief, awkward silence, Adam sighed, "Fine. Whatever your plan is, I hope it works."

Samus calmed down, satisfied that her demand was granted, and replied, "It will. I just want to narrow the field a bit, instead of just bee lining for Mothri."

"What do you mean?" Adam asked, curious.

"This ship doesn't have any sort of weaponry," Samus replied. "So we need a ship that has weapons to fend off the Incubus."

"Lady Samus, you're not suggesting leading your pursuer toward the _Avenger_, aren't you?" Adam inquired

"Now you're catching on," Samus answered. "In fact, I'm surprised that you didn't think of it first."

"Lady, this is a risky prospect. The _Avenger_ wanted to shoot you down, too. Remember?"

"Yes, I remember. I also recall that the _Avenger _was targeting me because of this ship's ID tags. For some reason, the _Avenger _is anti-Federation. It will engage the Incubi while we escape, and I can explain my situation via comm. to his allies."

"Don't think that this is foolproof, Lady. The Incubus-class possesses PWS cannons. They could rip through the _Avenger _with little trouble."

"Only when its shields are down. Besides, I'm certain that the _Avenger _has reinforcements on the surface. Why else would it come here? Why else is it boldly attacking the Incubus chasing it, instead of fleeing?"

Adam thought about this for a brief moment, and replied, "Very well. Do as you wish." He stopped for a moment, and then added, "Please hurry, Lady Samus; the Incubus is gaining on us."

Suddenly, the _Scylla _burst through on the communication lines. "Vessel GFI-34A7U, you have not stood down!" The _Scylla _boomed. "Halt, or you will be fired upon!"

In response, Samus swerved hard to port, in order to catch up to the _Hushed Avenger_. Paying careful attention to the monitor readouts, she guided her ship so that it would face her target, then accelerated towards it. She peered outside the cockpit window, and glimpsed the _Avenger_ and the other Incubus zooming toward each other. Like a pair of rams about to butt heads, the two ships charged at one another with fury. Then, the _Avenger _fired three pairs of bright, green beams headed straight for the Incubus. It tried to maneuver away, but alas, it was only able to dodge three beams. The other three impacted the ship straight in the wing section, and if it weren't for the ship's shielding, the blast would have torn the wing clean off.

The Incubus retaliated by firing a multitude of Pierce Beams at the _Avenger_ as it passed. The brilliant blue strands of light burned through empty space as they approached their target. However, the _Avenger_ climbed upward to escape the volley, and the beams felt no metal as they streaked across the darkness. Not only did it dodge the beams, it put itself out of range of the port ball turrets as well. The turrets fired more volleys upward, struggling in vain to hit a target out of their range as it zoomed away. Realizing that it could not harm the _Avenger_, the Incubus ascended after it.

The _Avenger_ had cleared some distance between itself and the Incubus, and was turning around for another pass. However, the Incubus had adjusted itself so that the starboard ball turrets directly faced their elusive prey. With a great flash of azure light, the Incubus's guns sent searing beams clear into the _Avenger's_ bow. The shields withstood the blast, but there was no indication of whether they could endure another blow.

The _Avenger_ quickly descended to starboard, towards the Incubus' bow. More fiery beams flashed, but they did not touch the silver ship. It seemed as though the _Avenger_ had an edge in maneuverability, as it was capable of dodging the Incubus's fire quite proficiently. It clearly did not pack the level of firepower that the Incubus possessed, but since it could maneuver through the lasers, it possessed a fighting chance of vanquishing its foe.

All this happened in less than a minute. Samus was transfixed in awe at the spectacle she witnessed. The _Avenger's_ pilot was clearly not the run-of-the-mill combatant; he flew with grace, skill, and valor. Samus was moved by the display, and at the same time wary of the predator approaching behind her. The Scylla was directly at her six now, and angling its guns to pierce her engine. Samus turned sharply to port, towards the _Avenger_-hunting Incubus's stern. She hoped to catch up to the _Avenger_, and possibly bring the _Scylla_ into its sights. Samus, out of the corner of her eye, saw bright blue beams passing by her starboard side. The _Scylla_ was now in firing range.

Reflexively, Samus swung to starboard, knowing that they would aim several more degrees to port in order to hit her. The plan worked, as she felt no impact on the ships hull while she guided it closer to the Incubus. She maneuvered back towards port, hoping to dodge the fire once more. However, she felt a strong crash rattle the ship, and a blinding cerulean light obscuring her vision. They had been able to track her, and the beams had impacted the bow section, directly behind the ship's cockpit. Samus's vision quickly cleared, and she heard Adam's voice erupt on the comm. lines.

"Lady!" He exclaimed, his voice rising to a fever pitch, "The PWS fire has reduced the ship's shields to forty-eight percent! They cannot withstand another Pierce Beam barrage! Please, let me have the controls, Lady Samus!"

"Not yet, Adam!" Samus snapped. "The Avenger still has a fighting chance! Let him finish his target off!"

"Lady, you are being too stubborn for your own good!" Adam retorted. "I'm taking the controls from you! We're going straight to Mothri this instant!"

"Adam, stop!" Samus screamed. However, her command was in vain. As she jerked at the helm, trying to bend the ship to her will, the vessel did not respond. Adam had rendered it a useless, vestigial device, while he usurped control of the ship. He steered it to starboard, bringing the planet Mothri into view. She slumped in her seat as a gesture of defeat, and blankly stared at the view in front of her as Adam activated the afterburners. The sensor readouts showed the Scylla trying to keep up, with the Avenger hot on its tail, apparently ignoring its earlier target.

The planet was a deep shade of green, indicating the lush vegetation growing on its soil. Small, azure patches of water, as well as white and gray clouds, accompanied the emerald color. Samus saw the planet before this ruckus commenced, but she had never seen it so close, or paid attention to it. It was a beautiful planet; she figured that she would enjoy her time there. But that was not what mattered. What mattered were the _Scylla _and the other Incubus, and how the _Avenger_ was handling them.

She couldn't help but wonder about the _Avenger_. It was an object of enigma for Samus. The ship belonged to some sort of faction with anti-Federation sentiments, that much she knew. But the only group she knew with these sorts of feelings was the Space Pirates, a vicious alien race with advanced technological prowess and remarkable military expertise. They caused a great deal of chaos and disorder throughout Federation space in a vicious and bloody war, until the heart of their forced were decimated at their base on the planet Zebes, by none other than Samus herself.

However, she doubted that the _Avenger_ had any connection to the silenced aggressors; the ship was not a Pirate model that she recognized. Additionally, the voice coming through the communication lines was clearly from a human male. She wondered if she would see more of this mysterious faction on the planet's surface. More importantly, though, she wondered if the Avenger was going to be victorious against the two Incubi. Despite the raging battle taking place in high orbit, no reinforcements had appeared to aid the _Avenger_. She wondered whether it could survive without them.

"Lady," Adam said calmly, interrupting her thoughts. "We are in the planet's gravitational pull, and we will enter the atmosphere in two minutes." After a sigh from Samus, Adam added, "Lady Samus, do not become too angry with me. I only wished to…"

"No, its okay," Samus interjected. "You were right. I was being too stubborn." She looked up and said with a smile, "Besides, I accomplished what I set out to do. The Incubi are in the Avenger's hands."

"Ah, speaking of that," Adam spoke with an earnest eagerness. "It seems as though the Avenger is playing cat-and-mouse with the _Scylla_, and winning."

Samus felt her eyelids fly upward. She quickly turned to view the sensor readouts, and sure enough, the Avenger was directly behind the Scylla, skillfully maneuvering as the Scylla did in order to keep on its tail. The sensors showed the two ships weaving left and right, one trying to lose its pursuer, the other trying to fell its opponent. After a few seconds, the blip representing the Scylla vanished from the monitor, and Samus could feel the aftermath of a distant explosion behind her.

Samus felt a pang of shock spread through her veins. The Avenger had won. It had actually won. The _Scylla_ had been reduced to nothing more than rubbish, while the _Avenger_ flew triumphantly amongst the stars. She knew that the _Avenger _would fight for its life in the struggle, but she never thought it could win. After all, the Incubus was a mechanical behemoth from a powerful interstellar government, and the Avenger was just some anonymous ship with little chance of winning. Against all odds, the Avenger had prevailed, and without reinforcements as well.

But there was no time to celebrate. The sensors showed the second Incubus closing in on the _Avenger_. It was preparing to deal a killing blow to the victorious nobody, and avenge its fallen comrade. Sensing this, the _Avenger_ accelerated towards the Incubus, responding to its offense in kind. The Incubus flashed its port side towards the Avenger, in order to position its batteries for assault. The _Avenger_ swung starboard, hoping to evade the attack. Samus saw the blip representing the _Avenger_ fade for a moment, and wondered what had happened.

"Lady, the _Avenger's_ shields are down!" Adam announced. "At this rate, the _Avenger_ will be done for!"

Samus swore under her breath. The victorious _Avenger_ had shown a moment of weakness. In doing so, it had not only endangered itself, but Samus as well. After all, once the Incubus had disposed of the _Avenger_, it would prey upon her next. Without any aegis, she would be forced to flee to Mothri, or face her death in a burst of bright blue heat.

In a last-ditch attempt to preserve his own life, the _Avenger's_ pilot commanded his ship to boost straight for Mothri. Samus was a ways ahead of the vessel, but if it continued at its present rate, it would fly close behind Samus in less than a minute. This action sent a jolt of fright down Samus' spine. If it flew behind her, there was a chance that the Incubus's fire would down her ship along with the _Avenger_ when it attacked. She desired to keep as far away from the Incubus as possible.

"Adam!" Samus exclaimed. "Keep away from the _Avenger_! If the Incubus fires at it, the bolts could take us down with it!"

"I'm aware of the situation," Adam replied coolly. "Maneuvering to starboard, Lady." As Adam guided the ship, the _Avenger_ swung to port, in the opposite direction that Samus was going. The two ships flew apart from each other as they attempted to enter the atmosphere. Samus then noticed the Incubus accelerating towards Mothri, vying to destroy them both. However, it wasn't flying towards the _Avenger_ or Samus's ship. Rather, it was flying in the space between them. Samus only had to ponder on this for a split second before she realized what it was doing. It was going to use the guns on both sides to take both of the retreating ships at once.

Samus's ship was entering the planet's atmosphere. She could feel small tremors in her seat from the friction against the air. But the vibrations did not stop her from feeling the violent pounding of her heart. If she didn't do something, the Incubus would destroy her and the _Avenger_. Maneuvering further starboard was foolhardy; that would be exactly what the Incubus would expect. Continuing to fly straight was no better an option. There was only one other choice she could make.

"Adam, turn to port," Samus ordered. "The Incubus will down us if we keep going starboard."

With a grave voice, Adam replied, "I don't think that there's much we can do, Lady. No matter which path we choose, the Incubus has us cornered." Adam paused for a bit, then added; "We will maneuver to port, seeing as how that is the most feasible option, but keep your expectations low; we may not make it."

Samus breathed deeply, trying to pacify the drumming in her chest. She knew that the odds were stacked against her as soon as the Incubi arrived, but she still persisted regardless. She couldn't forget about the _Avenger's_ wonderful performance against the _Scylla _as well. Now here she was, with Death galloping madly on his pale horse towards her and the _Avenger_, in the shape of an Incubus-class gunship, hoping to massacre them both with his bloodied scythe.

Adam guided the ship to port, in a desperate attempt to evade the remaining Incubus. Samus glued her eyes to the sensor readouts, paying careful attention to the enemy ship. It was still on its present course, confidently striding closer in order to murder her. Samus also glimpsed, out of the corner of her eye, the _Avenger_ swinging to starboard, and coming straight towards her.

Samus was alarmed. The _Avenger's_ pilot was thinking the exact same thing she was. He was also trying to evade the Incubus, by going in the direction that it did not expect for him to go. Adam seemed to have sensed this and turned slightly starboard. By then, however, it was too late. A violent crash rocked her ship, accompanied by a blinding azure light. An alarm sounded in the cockpit, it's piercing wail indicating that the ships shields fell. A second crash followed within a split second, piercing the ships engine with a violent and deafening explosion. With no propulsion, the ship plummeted towards Mothri, pushed downward by the forceful shove of the planet's gravity.

In a matter of seconds, the ship lost all electrical power, and it was falling forward towards the ground. The g-forces were increasing rapidly, and Samus felt herself bend forward toward the windshield. The fall pressed Samus against her safety belt, and stirred the contents of her stomach. She could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness, as the planet's green landscape appeared in a blur in front of her. As she fell, Samus's body coursed with the consuming fear that one feels before death. Samus felt little hope in her survival; the enormous impact would likely kill her. Samus felt herself falling faster, and faster, until a final, resounding crash against the planet's soil propelled her into a black void.


	3. Chapter 3

The black void that consumed Samus was slowly fading away. As the veil lifted, her eyelids fluttered open, slowly carrying her to the conscious world. Her eyes were treated to a gray blur that focused as her eyelids opened. The blur materialized into a metal floor, shimmering in fluorescent light. She could hear footsteps nearby, and a distant intercom mumbling what she perceived to be gibberish. She felt the cold touch of metal against the arch of her spine, as her halter still covered her upper back. Still, the chill touch helped her to focus

_Where am I?_ Samus thought to herself. _This isn't my ship. How did I get here?_ After a brief moment, Samus remembered what happened. _Wait, I crashed on the planet's surface. I lost consciousness as soon as I touched down. And the Avenger…ah! Could this be the Avenger's home base?_

Samus lifted her head from the floor, and noticed a dark figure approaching her. Her eyes, out of fear, focused in an instant. Her eyes beheld a tall, lean figure in a black leather jacket. His black hair was slicked back, and he bore a small goatee. His turquoise-blue eyes were narrowed, throwing a piercing gaze at Samus, and his thin lips were twisted into a scowl.

"Ah, you're awake, you fucking bitch" He uttered with a sharp jab of contempt, his hateful eyes focused intently on Samus

Samus felt her blood rise to a boil. Whenever she heard the word "bitch", she felt an irrepressible need to hit one who spewed it in the face. She suddenly blurted, "What did you just call me?" She lunged forward as she said it, but her forward jerk was held back. Something was pinning her wrists and ankles to the wall. She glanced sideways, and found her wrists bound by sturdy metal clamps. They didn't even allow her to rotate the joints, and they cut off nearly all circulation. With the realization that she was restrained and helpless, Samus had no choice but to calm down and keep her anger in check.

"I said you're a filthy bitch, you Federation whore!" the man snarled. "And since you can't even move, much less attack me, you better do what I say! I have the authority to shoot you in your fucking face if I so please!"

Samus stared squarely at the man, filling her body with as much calm as she could muster. She surmised that this man was the leader of the group, or at least a high-ranking official, and that she was brought here for interrogation. It hardly surprised her, but she wondered why the _Avenger's_ pilot didn't relay what happened to the rest of the faction, or that they hadn't detected the action in the atmosphere. Maybe they saw her ID tags and threw her in this cell because of their Federation designation. They did oppose the Federation for some reason, after all. Or maybe the _Avenger_ was shot down as well.

It was then she noticed the other two men leaning against the grey walls of the room. One was a man of slender build who observed the scene with indifference, and the other was a much more stoutly built and muscular man who witnessed the happenings with a grave expression.

"Now listen and listen good, bitch!" the leader yelled again, demanding her undivided attention. "I want to know what you're doing here, and what kind of shit you plan on stirring here! Now spill it, bitch!"

Samus felt her concentration break slightly. The word "bitch" echoed across her mind. He knew that the word irritated her, and he was using it to rile her up. Samus said nothing, and did nothing, except breathe deeply through her nose. The Chozo had taught her much about controlling her emotions, and although she occasionally slipped, she could keep her emotions suppressed should she be resolved to do so. And this man was not going to break her resolve.

"I don't know what you're talking about," She replied calmly, keeping her composure firmly within her grasp. "I have no current ties to the Federation, and I do not plan on 'stirring any shit'."

The man's scowl tightened, and his narrowed further until they were but slits. Slowly he advanced towards Samus, clenching his right fist. Seeing this, Samus knew what was coming. In a brief and forceful motion, the man punched her with all his might in her stomach. Recoiling from the pain, Samus tilted her head toward the floor, softly groaning in pain as she did so. A second punch followed, and Samus felt nothing but the resounding and powerful agony that twisted her abdomen. She coughed vigorously, tasting the salty blood before it ejected from her mouth and onto the floor.

"Don't give me that bullshit!" The man barked. "We've seen your ship's ID tags, and we know that you're with the Federation! Tell me what you're doing here, or else I'll beat the shit out of you!"

Samus, slowly lifting her head to face the man, replied bitterly, "I told you, I have no ties to the Federation." After coughing some more, Samus weakly added, " I'm a fugitive, being tracked by the Feds for…destruction of property."

The man screamed at the top of his lungs, "If you think I'm going to believe that pile of steaming bullshit, you got another thing coming!" He clenched his fist again, and Samus braced herself for the hard impact of his hard and resolute knuckles.

"Sir, if I may, I think that what she says is true," one of the men in the back said. Samus looked toward them, and saw that the stronger man was standing upright, no longer leaning against the wall. He added, "The sensors showed that one of the Incubi was directly on her six before they malfunctioned."

"Shut up, Duprey! You're out of line!" The man yelled back. "If I recall quite clearly, Teras's orders were to capture the ship and detain its pilot! And if I also recall, the ship and the Incubus on her tail sped toward the _Avenger's_ position, so shut it!"

_A malfunction?_ Samus thought to herself. "That explains a lot." She then focused on this "Teras" character. Apparently the man before her held the reins in this interrogation, but this Teras person seemed to be of a higher status than him. _Good thing_, Samus thought. _Or else this enraged psycho would've run this faction to the ground._

The man turned to face her again. He strode toward her with his fist clenched once more. He was going to punch her again. Samus resumed bracing herself for the blow. She would be fine; the first hit was always the most excruciating. Samus knew this better than anyone. The man pulled his fist quickly toward his waist, coiling it back to strike. Samus's gaze remained on him, never faltering. A part of her wanted to close her eyes, out of pure instinct more than anything else, but this was a game of psychological warfare, and Samus was determined not to show weakness, else her oppressor might exploit it.

He was about to assail Samus, when a voice rang out from the beyond the door. "Teal! What's going on?" Samus then heard a fusillade of knocks from the door. "Teal, open up!" it demanded again. Samus recognized the voice immeadiately; it belonged to the _Avenger's _pilot. The voice that contained a taciturn serenity was now strained.

The man stopped, all traces of anger seeming to leave his face, and in its stead surprise and joy occupied. He turned around and walked toward the door. He pressed a switch on the wall, and the blue energy field on the door fell. The rectangular door slid back to reveal the source of the voice: a tall lean man dressed in a brown, nylon trench coat that gave a regal air.

"Teras, sir!" The man exclaimed to the newly arrived visitor. "You're awake!" The other two men shot up from the wall in an instant. Eyes wide with curiosity, they saw Teras at the threshold, and he smiled at them like an old friend would.

"Chief! Welcome back!" Duprey hollered.

"Good to see you alive and kicking, sir!" the thinner man greeted.

Following their ecstatic welcomes were a brief exchange of handshakes. Teras accepted each one thoughtfully and gratefully, but then drove his comrades away. "Now, I'd like to see the prisoner," He announced.

Samus scrutinized the man that was stepping through the portal. His appearance was pleasant enough. He had a slim build, his sculpted chest only concealed by a white polyester shirt under his unzipped trench coat. His dark brown hair fell in a mat across his forehead, and his grey eyes gave him a watchful, iron gaze.

_So this is Teras,_ Samus thought to herself. _He certainly looks nicer than this Teal douche bag._ Still, Samus was wary. She knew that looks were deceiving, and she was certain that Teras could hurt her just as well as Teal could. He certainly had the muscles to do so. Samus felt it best to simply do what he asked, so that she could be freed without incident. She was in no mood to make any more enemies.

Teras waltzed into the room, his boots giving a soft plop as he approached. He glanced at Samus, then down at the floor beneath her feet, where the blood she regurgitated still lay. He let out a sigh and remarked, "Teal, remind me never to let you do an interrogation again."

The man who had questioned her, Teal, gave a surprised look and replied, "But, Teras! This woman was with the Incubus that attacked you! Your ship is a smoldering pile of junk because of her! You were unconscious in the infirmary for eight hours because of her!"

Teras turned towards Teal, and with the utmost seriousness, stated, "My ship is a pile of junk because of the Incubi that tried to kill _both of us_. If the sensors didn't malfunction before the battle, you would've known that."

Teal paused for a minute, with an awestruck look materializing on his face, processing this new information. After that moment passed, he stubbornly declared, "Sir! Your orders were to detain her ship! I followed proper protocol in bringing her to the brig!"

"That's right. I did order you to detain the ship, and you did follow proper protocol in bringing her here. However, causing internal bleeding is hardly acceptable. We're not supposed to get physical with our detainees until about two hours of questioning. From what I understand, as I have only woken up about eight minutes ago, is that it has been only five minutes since the questioning started."

"Sir! I am the executive officer of this base! I have a responsibility to take command when you are absent from duty!"

"Did you quote that from the handbook?" Teras asked rhetorically. Teal seemed to fume silently. "Anyway, " Teras continued. "Being the ever-devout XO you are, you should have known better. Now as the _commanding_ officer, I command you to go to your quarters. We'll discuss this later."

Teal, still silently fuming, reluctantly obliged. He hastily stepped out the door, with Teras's gaze falling on him. After he left, Teras groaned and mumbled something that sounded like, "What am I gonna do with him?" Teras turned his gaze toward the other two observers, who had reassumed their positions on the wall.

"Duprey, Ursan, you two should leave as well, " He said. At his orders, the two men simply shrugged and left the room. Teras flipped the switch on the wall, closing the door behind them.

"Now", he uttered. "Let's do this properly."

Teras walked lithely up to Samus, hoping to resume interrogation. He moved up to Samus, confidently looking her in the eyes. Samus returned the gesture, slightly relieved at the discussion between him and Teal. She knew that she wasn't going to hurt her physically, a fact that comforted her. Still, all other possibilities, such as being locked in a fowl-smelling dungeon, were up to him.

"I trust you had a pleasant time with Teal," He commented facetiously.

Samus's answer was a blunt and terse, "No." Being yelled at and coughing up blood was not her idea of a good time. What she wanted was to be out of her bonds, but since she couldn't be set free until this man saw fit to do so, she knew she had to play along with him.

"Not the talkative type, are you?" Teras inquired.

Samus just stared at him. He was true in saying that she wasn't talkative, but she didn't feel particularly gregarious in her current situation.

"I didn't think so," Teras chuckled. "Anyway, you're an intriguing one, miss." He moved closer to Samus, making her tense up out of instinct. "Your ship clearly has a Federation designation, and yet the Incubus shot you down without a second thought. I'm curious; why would the Federation try to kill you?"

Samus sighed, showing no hint of weakness in her expression, and holding her eyes firm with his. "I'll tell you what I told Teal," She uttered. "I'm a criminal, wanted for the destruction of their property."

Teras's eyebrows perked up at her reply. "Really?" He piped. Samus just nodded her head. It was a vague explanation, but it was true. And it was plausible, given the circumstances. It was a win-win situation, as far was she was concerned. However, there was always the chance that Teras would not accept that explanation, as Teal didn't. But Teras was of an entirely different disposition that Teal, so perhaps that chance was reduced.

"And I suppose your ship was stolen from them, then?" He asked.

"No," Samus answered. "It was given to me. I used to work for them."

Teras plainly shrugged. "Well, what sort of property are we talking about?" Teras inquired. "Was the property important? Was it of significant value to the Federation?"

"Yes it was," Samus responded. "It was an orbital research station. They were mass-producing valuable bio-weapons there."

Teras's eyebrows perked again. "Bio-weapons, you say?" He asked.

Samus shook her head vertically.

"Well, can you get more specific? Like what they were planning to do with these bio-weapons? What these bio-weapons are? Anything like that?"

Samus thought about it for a minute. _Should I give the specifics?_ she pondered. _Well, I don't see any reason not to. I'm already neck-deep in trouble with the Federation, and I need to feed this guy answers in order to win my freedom, so I might as well. Whether he believes me or not is a separate issue._

"Well?" Teras prodded. "Are you going to talk?"

She finally answered, "Well, all I'm going to say is that they were parasites that kill you by sucking the life out of you." She then smiled and added, "And there's more. They also wanted to capture another type of parasite from the planet that the station was orbiting. A type that could mimic its prey by using its DNA."

Teras smiled slyly at Samus, clearly processing this information. "Well, that's interesting. I've never heard of anything like that, " He remarked. "And why did you destroy this station?"

Samus plainly answered, "I felt the creatures were dangerous, so I had the station self-destruct."

Teras imbibed her answer like a sponge, but there seemed to be some doubt in his expression. "Are you sure that you are telling me the truth?" he questioned.

"I'm sure," Samus replied. "I don't really have much of a choice, do I?"

Teras laughed again, and said, "No, you don't." He then stepped back from Samus, and held his hand to his chin and thought. "Well, the Federation nearly killed you, so I know that you aren't our enemy, but I'm not sure I can completely trust you either," He stated. He removed his hand from his chin, and looked right into Samus's eyes. "So here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to let you go free, but on a leash. I'll let you stay inside the base, and use all the facilities, but you are not to go onto the grounds or to leave the base without permission. I will impose these conditions for as long as I see necessary. I trust that this will be acceptable."

This deal was music to Samus's ears. Sure, she couldn't leave without their consent, but she felt that she didn't need to. The whole point of coming here was to escape from the Federation, and a man who happened to be the leader of a militant anti-Federation group offering her a place to stay was more than what she could've ever hoped for. The only thing she had to put up with, as far as she knew, was that beastly Teal, and Teras could chastise him should he step out of line. Samus eagerly answered, "Yes, that will be perfectly acceptable." She could barely contain her smile.

Teras smiled back. "Good," He replied. "Now I will let you go, and promptly show you to your quarters, Miss…Miss…I don't believe I know your name."

"My name?" Samus asked.

Teras nodded his head, patiently expecting a reply.

Samus sighed, and answered, "You may believe or disbelieve me if you wish, but my name is Samus. Samus Aran."

A look of incredulity permeated Teras's face. "Oh, really?" Teras mumbled. "Well that's interesting." He then smiled. "But, you know, you're not the only girl I've met who said she was Samus Aran."

Samus merely stared, and remarked, "I told you; you can believe or disbelieve me all you like. But that is my name and I will hold fast to it."

Teras's doubt slowly left his face, although Samus wasn't certain if the doubt was gone from his mind. "Well then, Miss Aran, I, Teras Galli, welcome you the Scion mercenary outpost, Mothri sector."

"Thank you," Samus answered. But after she said it, she began to ponder about a detail in Teras's greeting. _Scion mercenary base?_ She ruminated. _So this whole group is a mercenary outfit? Why would they hold a grudge against the Federation? This doesn't make any sense…_

"Now, Miss Aran, if that's your real name," Teras interjected, disrupting her thoughts. "I suppose I should release you, but I'll be shadowing you to make sure you don't kill my men. Or women, for that matter."

Samus smiled affably. "Don't worry, I won't," she responded. "I may be many things, but I'm certainly not careless."

Teras cringed at those words, as though Samus had struck some deep, dark corner of his heart. He threw a dark, melancholy glare toward Samus's direction, his iron eyes magnifying it to a withering stare.

Samus's grin faded completely, and she looked into Teras's eyes, taking the full effect of his Gorgon-like look. "What?" She asked. "Did I say something wrong?" Samus was concerned about what effect her statement might have had. He was going to let her go, but she worried that her sentence may have made him change his mind.

Teras shook his head and replied, "No, it's nothing."

He reached inside his pocket and pulled out a small, handheld laser pointer, of a type often used for keys. He went over to the bonds, and shone the pointer on each one, freeing Samus's wrists and ankles with a staccato of clanks. She fell softly onto the floor, bending her knees as she landed, and falling on her hands and knees. She slowly stood herself up, and met Teras's gaze. The melancholy was mostly gone from them, but there was still a hint of grim regret within the steel iris.

He went over to the door and opened it, then gestured for her to walk through like a gentleman. She obliged, and passed through the portal, with Teras emerging behind her.

"Now, I'm going to take you to my office, so that I can assign you a bunk for the night. However, if you want to stay in the bunk, I need you to formally join Scion, or else I'll have to throw you in the brig. Sorry, but that's the way I roll."

Samus was in no position to argue. She would do whatever it meant to stay, even join the mercenaries. As far as she was concerned, she had no other options. This was the only place she could go; the Federation would not take her in, not after what she had done. She acknowledged his demand and would see to it tomorrow.

They walked down the hall towards Teras's office in silence. The hall was a dull metal, with simple light fixtures attached to the ceiling, and the occasional blue-shielded door. Passerby and bystanders glanced at them, and whispered amongst themselves in nearly inaudible tones. But Samus did not pay attention to them. She was amazed by her stroke of good fortune, and how Teras so willingly let her go.

Meanwhile, Teras was locked in his own ponderings. "So, the warrant that our hackers intercepted was true. Samus Aran is a wanted fugitive," He thought. "Everything she said tallies up with that warrant. All signs point to her telling the truth, yet I still should be cautious. I'll see if I can run her ship's ID number through the Federation databases tomorrow. Regardless, it's a good thing I went to show that warrant to HQ, even though it cost me my ship. I probably should have told Teal, seeing as how she might have been spared some pain, but oh well."

Teras smiled to himself. "Though I must say, I never expected Samus Aran, or at least someone that could be her, to show up in a Scion brig." He glanced at Samus, making sure that she didn't wander off. "Yes, definitely an unexpected occurrence. She could be of great value to us. But I digress. I made the terrible mistake of letting the Federation follow me here. I might have to make a change of residence very soon…"


End file.
